The Charm of a Hard Night
by shadowqueen15
Summary: Mitsuru and Akihiko story. I might make it a series, but I'm not sure yet. I guess it depends on how people receive it :)
1. Chapter 1

"You really are some kind of idiot," Mitsuru sighed, and exasperated expression on her face. "I will never understand you. What, pray tell, made you think that rushing at such a strong shadow without a plan was a good idea?"

She was sitting on the couch with Akihiko, tending to his significant wounds from their time in Tartarus earlier that night. Everyone else was exhausted and went to bed as soon as they got home, but he was injured, and no matter how much he insisted he was fine she would not sleep until she felt satisfied with how he was doing.

He grunted. "You know I have no answer to that question."

She smirked. "My point exactly."

It was hard for him to ignore how close she was. She was sitting on the edge of the couch while he was laying down, and her hands hovered over the deep gash in his side. She had done her best to heal it, but her healing powers were mediocre and Yukari was asleep. Each time she moved, Akihiko got a whiff of her sweet, intoxicating smell. He had never thought of himself as the typical hormonal teenage boy, but he had to admit that he was having trouble controlling himself.

"This is a pretty bad wound, Akihiko," she said matter-of-factly as she wrapped the injury in clean white cloth. "I don't think even Takeba will be able to fully heal it. I believe time will be the only remedy for this little problem."

He groaned and sat up. "Gotcha doctor. But don't try to get off the hook, you've got plenty of injuries yourself." He dipped a rag in alcohol and teased her by waving it in front of her face.

"And I got them all saving your sorry ass," she said, pouting. He raised his eyebrows. She rarely used profanity, and when she did it was only around him. He liked that. The fact that she would reveal her rougher side only to him. It showed that she trusted and cared for him as much as he did for her.

"That's beside the point. You still got hurt." His eyes flickered to her bloodstained shirt and then back to her face, asking silently for permission to proceed. When she didn't protest he slowly lifted her shirt, revealing the cut within. It wasn't as bad as his was, but it could still get infected and cause damage if not handled properly. He gently dabbed at it with the rag.

She sucked in a quick breath. It hurt. A lot. It had been a while since she'd been injured so badly while fighting, and so the feeling of cleaning wounds or just having them in general had become rather foreign to her. She squeezed her eyes shut to prevent them from tearing. Mitsuru Kirijo was _not_ going to cry because of some stupid scratch.

Heat rushed to the pit of Akihiko's stomach. Did he just here Mitsuru _whimper_? If this kept up, he would have to find some reason to excuse himself before he exploded in a fiery ball of lust. And exploding in a fiery ball of lust is something he knew Mitsuru would not appreciate.

"All done here," he said, wrapping the cut in bandages. He rolled her shirt back down and dipped the rag in the alcohol again. "Last one."

There was a fairly deep cut across her cheek. The son of a bitch wound had practically been bleeding the whole time, leaving a track of dried blood running from the cut down to her chin. Akihiko found it extremely attractive. She was tough. Strong. A fighter.

He cupped her cheek with his left hand cleaned the wound with his right. It was that moment that she became aware of how close his face was to hers. Normally she would be embarrassed, but the gentle, content look in his eyes captivated her and made her forget to blush. She had seen that look in him before, but she doubted any of the other SEES members had. It showed his affectionate, passionate side that he reserved solely for her. For some reason she couldn't understand, that thought relaxed her.

When the cut was cleaned, Akihiko put the rag down next to them, but he didn't remove his hand from her cheek. As his eyes met hers, it was almost as if he was losing control of his body. His face began to slowly, so slowly, inch towards hers. He couldn't believe he was doing this. But what made it even more unbelievable was that it looked like she was going to _let _him. He always believed that she would pull away and slap him if he ever dared try to kiss her.

Her eyes widened as his lips finally touched hers, and made a noise deep in her throat. She didn't respond to his kiss though; she was too shocked to do so. But that wasn't the only reason. She honestly had no idea how she was supposed to feel in this situation. Love was never something that she had had the privilege of feeling. There was always the ever present threat of her arranged marriage that loomed over her shoulder, preventing her from even attempting at developing such feelings for someone. Or if she did develop those feelings, they weren't something she was aware of. The very idea was too foreign to her.

When he pulled away and looked at her face, he could see a blush spreading across her cheeks, but she didn't protest. He went back in for another kiss, but before his lips could touch hers she leaned back and pressed a hand against his chest.

"Listen, I uh," she began. "I don't think this is a good idea. You're not thinking clearly."

"Trust me, I am," he said huskily. "Do you have any idea how much I've wanted this? Do you have any idea how strongly I feel about you? I love you, Mitsuru."

And there it was. Out in the open. She could either accept or reject him. "I-I'm confused, Akihiko. I don't know how I feel. I care about you a lot, but I've never had to think about anything like this before. I'm not the most experienced in this area and so I…I don't know."

"Let me help you figure it out then," he said, grasping her hand that had been pressed against his chest and threading his fingers through hers. "If you decide that you don't feel the same way, then I'll back off. I promise." He then moved so that he hovered over her, and he moved to once more and closed the distance between their lips.

The kiss, once again, was gentle. He was giving her time to decide how she felt. She could feel heat grow in her stomach and spread throughout her body, and before she knew what she was doing she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. A low growl was release from the back of his throat as he wrapped one arm around her back and drew her up and close to him, so that her chest pressed against his. He kept his other hand buried in her hair.

When they finally broke apart, they were both panting, their chests heaving. There was a slight moment of silence. Mitsuru finally broke it by beginning to chuckle. Akihiko joined her, and soon they were hysterical laughing, struggling for breath and tears coming from their eyes.

When the laughing subsided, they lay in comfortable silence. Akihiko was laying on the couch with his arms wrapped tightly around Mitsuru's waist, and she had her head pressed against his head. "So," he began. "Do you love me?"

She lifted her head so she could look down at him. She smirked. "Yeah, I think so."

A stubborn look came across his face. "Say it."

She raised her eyebrow and leaned down to press a quick kiss against his lips. "Akihiko Sanada, I love you."

He couldn't stop a huge, stupid grin from spreading across his face. Before she could react, he sat up quickly and pressed his lips firmly against hers again. He then lay back down so that they were in their previous position. He then kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I love you, too."


	2. Chapter 2

A full month had passed since Akihiko Sanada and Mitsuru Kirijo began their relationship. They weren't dating per se, because they had agreed to keep their affections for each other private. Going public with how they felt could only cause problems, especially if Mitsuru's father found out. And he would find out, if they went public.

And so they sat on a Kirijo yacht, next to each other but not touching. They were on their way to the dazzlingly beautiful island of Yakushima, although in Akihiko's mind, no island could compare with how gorgeous Mitsuru was right now. She had her head turned so she could look at the view, and her cheeks were tainted with a slight pink color due to the blowing wind. She wore a fitting white tank top that showed off her breath taking figure, and a pair of denim shorts that flaunted her sculpted, slim legs. As he watched her, Akihiko could not help but think that he was the most blessed man on the planet. He was lucky to have been gifted with such a beautiful girlfriend, both on the inside and out.

However, not even Mitsuru's beauty could completely distract him from the awkward air that everyone had been giving off throughout their whole trip. It had only been a few days since Mitsuru had revealed the origins of the Dark Hour and Tartarus to the others, and therefore it had only been a few days since Yukari had berated the redhead relentlessly about her reasons for, well, all of the crap that was going on right now. And although Mitsuru was not justified in keeping secrets from their fellow team members, Akihiko couldn't help but be angry with Yukari for her lack of sympathy. Her hardships paled in comparison to Mitsuru's, and yet Yukari had rebuked her as if she had had it easy.

Contrary to what the younger girl might believe, the whole ordeal had greatly upset Mitsuru. She felt guilty and ashamed, and had sat in her room for hours doing nothing but brooding over the whole situation. Akihiko had tried to comfort her, but she had asked him as politely as possible if he could please leave her alone, she needed time to think and reflect. He had complied with her wishes, but not before he saw a small tear slip from her eye down her cheek.

They arrived in Yakushima and spent their first day there enjoying the beach. Minato and Junpei were chasing Yukari and Fuuka so they could splash them with water, Mitsuru was reading, and Akihiko was training. The time passed quickly, and soon enough the sun had disappeared beneath the horizon, and they all went back inside Mitsuru's mansion to shower get dressed. Her father then called them for a conference, where they found out that Eichiro Takeba, Yukari's father, had been killed in the explosion that had occurred at Gekkoukan High School ten years ago. Once again, the girl had rounded on Mitsuru and left in a fit of rage. Minato had gone to try and calm her down.

Mitsuru had also left, and was now walking along the water on the beach. Soon though, the ocean would thicken and turn crimson, marking the beginning of the Dark Hour. It was only minutes away, but Mitsuru could handle herself. She felt bad for any shadow that dared attack her, especially with how she was feeling now.

Akihiko trotted barefoot along the sand, searching for Mitsuru. Unfortunately, her hair didn't stand out at night like it did during the day, and he was having a difficult time finding her. It was only minutes away from midnight, and despite the fact that he was well aware that Mitsuru could defend herself just fine, he was still worried.

It was by the docks that he found her. She was sitting on the edge of the wooden walkway, her hair swaying slightly in the gentle breeze and the moon illuminating her features. She was looking up at the stars, as though asking for guidance from some higher being or entity. Akihiko walked forward and sat next to her. "Don't let this bother you," he told her, although he could sense that it was a rather feeble attempt at cheering her up. "She's overreacting. None of this is your fault."

"But it is," Mitsuru replied quietly. "She's completely justified in being angry with me. I should've shared this information from the start, rather than letting my pride cloud my judgment."

Akihiko took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "If she was in your position, she would have done the same exact thing you did, and if she thinks otherwise than she's just kidding herself. You have so much weight on your shoulders, Mitsuru, and she just doesn't understand that. At least not yet. But she will, someday. I promise."

Mitsuru turned to look at him, and he could see her eyes glistening. She leaned against him and buried her face in his chest. "Thank you."

"Hey." He wrapped his arms around her. "No more being upset, okay? We're gonna enjoy the rest of our time here and take an actual break from all this crap."

She raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow, a sly smile forming on her lips. "That means no training while we're here, Akihiko. You realize that, don't you?"

He huffed and then picked her up bridal style. "You're not playing fair. Training doesn't count! It's a man's duty!" He held her over the water and made to toss her in.

She shot him a dangerous look. "Don't you dare, Akihiko Sanada."

"Too late." He dropped her, but she grabbed hold of his arm at the last second, pulling him down with her. He tumbled headfirst into the water while she fell flat on her back. When they emerged from the water, they were both gasping for air.

"I just showered, you asshole!" she shouted at him.

"Aww, but you're so cute when you're wet," he said, pouting. "I couldn't help it."

Both of her eyebrows shot into the air and he could see a blush spreading across her cheeks, even in the darkness. He immediately realized how what he said could be thought of as some sort of sexual innuendo. "Oh shit, I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean it that way," he said, chuckling.

She began to laugh along with him, and then stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. "I know, but it was funny nonetheless."

He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to kiss her once more. This kiss was deep though, passionate. It was difficult to find time where they could kiss like this, seeing as they were always surrounded by people. So when they found these rare opportunities, they both cherished every moment of it.

Akihiko groaned in exasperation when Mitsuru pulled away suddenly. "Don't give me that," she said. "It's almost the Dark Hour, and when it is this water will be much less pleasant."

For the second time that night, he picked her up bridal style. He leaned down and kissed her as he walked the both of them out of the water. He collapsed to the ground as soon as his feet hit dry sand. He was now hovering above her as they kissed. The kiss quickly grew heated, and he began to feel warmth from the rest of his body move toward his crotch. He pulled away and stared at her face, breathless.

She could feel his erection against her leg, and she could tell that a blush had spread across her cheeks as she stared up at him, panting. The lust in his eyes frightened her a little, even though she knew he would never do anything to her unless she consented to it. It frightened her, but at that same time, she didn't really want to stop what she believed might be happening right now. She leaned up to meet his lips once more, this time sliding her hand under his shirt.

He met her kiss ferociously, his hands fumbling for the buttons on her blouse. As soon as it was off, he pulled away and looked at her again, concern in his eyes. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, uncertain.

"Yes," she replied. She smiled at him. "But hurry up or you'll kill the mood."

Afterward, they lay sprawled out on the sand, with her head against his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around her. It hadn't been as fast and euphoric as one might think, and it was full of pain as well as pleasure, at least on her part. And although her pain had caused him great distress initially, they had gotten through it, and in the end they were glad they had. He had pulled out at the last minute, in order to avoid pregnancy.

Eventually, they snuck back into the mansion and had reluctantly parted ways for the night. They each needed to get themselves cleaned up before the morning, or they would definitely arouse suspicion, especially from the adults who might recognize the smell they would be radiated.

As Akihiko lay in bed that night, he yearned for Mitsuru to be lying beside him. Perhaps then the bed wouldn't feel so cold. But, he took small pleasure in one fact. He had learned something new about her today.

She really was quite cute when she was wet.


	3. Chapter 3

Akihiko was lying behind her, with his arms wrapped snugly around her waist. She could feel his breath coming in steady bursts against her neck, he was so close. He loved cuddling, and so did she, but he would never go to sleep without at least one arm around her. It was as if he feared that she would disappear in the middle of the night.

And perhaps he was justified in his fears. She often wished that she could just slip away, quiet as a shadow, away from whatever bed they were sharing and brood on her own. The guilt ate away at her every night after they had sex, and she would lie awake staring at the ceiling even long after he had fallen asleep. It wasn't as if she didn't love him; she did. It's just that it would never work. She hadn't really thought about it until their relationship became intimate. After the second or third time, she had realized that having a serious relationship like this required a future. A future with a wedding and children and a family. A future that she could never give.

Mitsuru untangled herself from his arms as gently and subtly as she could and stood up, walking over to her window. The air was cool against her skin, and she could feel goosebumps rising. The moon was close to being full, and she was ready. She had been feeling particularly violent and frustrated recently. She wanted to feel the thrill of an evoker pressed against her temple, and she wanted the satisfaction of slicing shadows to pieces, their flesh splitting against her blade like soft butter.

She walked back over to the bed, her bare feet silent against the soft carpet. She sat on the edge and gazed at Akihiko. _He really is handsome,_ she thought. She didn't tell him that often enough. He opened his eyes lazily and saw her watching him. "Mitsuru?" he said groggily, reaching for her. "What's up?"

"Nothing," she said, grabbing his hand and pressing a kiss against his fingertips. She reached down and placed her hand on his face, then leaned down and tipped her forehead against his for a moment. "Go back to sleep." He nodded off again.

Mitsuru stood once more and rummaged through the drawers in her dresser. She pulled out an overly large t-shirt that said "Kirijo Electrionics" on it and yanked it over her head. It fell about mid-thigh on her. She placed her hand on the doorknob and, throwing one last look over her shoulder at Akihiko, opened the door and walked out.

She moved quietly, not wanting to disturb the others. It was late; she bet even Junpei was asleep by now. She moved up the stairs, passed the command room, and to the door that led to the roof. When she walked out, she noted with a hint of sadness that it was beginning to feel more like fall and less like summer. The air was brisk, and it nipped at her skin. Not that it really bothered her; she always felt comfortable in the cold.

Shinjiro stood with his back to her, leaning against the railing and smoking a cigarette. He heard the door open and close behind him and, without turning around, said, "Feeling restless, Mitsuru?"

She walked over and stood next to him, rubbing her temples. "I guess you could say that."

"Your little late night fuck session with Aki didn't tire you out? Damn, he must be really bad then."

She sent him a sidelong glance. "You always were a charmer, weren't you Shinjiro?"

"I'd say it's one of my greater qualities." He looked her up and down. "Quite the scandalous outfit, wouldn't you say? I would think you would turn red as a radish wearing that rag."

She snorted. "It's just you. You should feel honored that I'm so open around you."

"Oh really? Is wearing a sack supposed to be a sign of friendship?"

"Perhaps."

Shinjiro threw his cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his shoe, then pulled a pack from his pocket and took out a new one. He held the pack out to Mitsuru. "Want?" he asked.

She looked at him reproachfully. "No, I like breathing, thank you very much. Are you trying to rush yourself to an early grave?"

"I'm dead anyway," he said matter-of-factly. "You know that."

"It's true then?"

He nodded. Mitsuru leaned forward against the railing, and looked out across the city. It belonged to the Kirijo group, meaning one day it would be hers. That was hard for her to think about. An entire city? It seemed far too vast for one person to own, and quite frankly, she didn't want it. It was too much responsibity, even for her. Not that she had a choice.

They stood in comfortable silence for a while, until Mitsuru asked, "How did you find out?"

Shinjiro turned his head to gaze at her through narrowed eyes. "You didn't honestly think I wouldn't notice, did you? Aki always goes upstairs not long after you do, and I always hear him creeping past my room at night and slipping up the stairs, thinking he's being all sneaky and shit. Plus, I saw your pregnancy pills come in the mail once." Mitsuru cursed softly.

"I knew they weren't Aigis's because well, she's a robot and I doubt she has a vagina. Fuuka obviously has no sexual experience, and Yukari still turns red whenever Junpei makes one of his pervy jokes or talks about one of his damn porn magazines. You, on the other hand, are older than both Yukari and Fuuka, and your indifference to the topic led me to believe that well, they were yours." He exhaled, and a long line of smoke was released from his mouth. "Imagine my surprise at finding out that the great Mitsuru Kirijo was no longer a virgin, and that she was doing the nasty often enough to need pills so that she didn't get knocked up."

She was gazing at him with her mouth hanging open, and almost horrified expression on her face. He smirked at her rather proud of himself. "You really don't need to put it so crudely," she said with a sigh. "How'd you know it was Akihiko?"

"Who else would it be? You guys are awfully touchy with each other. It may not be obvious to the others, but it is to me. Plus, that dumbass starts grinning like an idiot whenever Junpei talks about sex, and I know that the only girl he ever thought about in that way was you. Considering that and your pills, it was pretty easy to figure out. I had all the pieces, I just need to fit them together to create the puzzle."

Out of nowhere, Mitsuru began laughing. And it wasn't a short, timid laugh. It was a loud, throw-back-your head kind of laugh. She wiped at the corners of her eyes. "I have to admit I'm impressed. You really do know us well."

"I certainly do," he replied with a smile. "You may not think it by looking at me, but I really can be quite insightful when I want."

"I don't doubt it."

Suddenly, the smile melted from Shinjiro's face, and he turned around so that he could gaze over the railing at the city again. "It really isn't fair, you know," he said quietly. "What you're doing to him."

She sighed. "I know. I should've never gotten myself into this position."

"He really loves you, you know? Any fool with half a brain could see that. I'm not sure I've ever seen someone love someone as much as he loves you."

"I know," she said quietly. She turned her body towards him hastily. "But I love him too! Don't you think for a second that I don't."

He held up his hands defensively. "I never said that you didn't. All I'm saying is that a future for you two isn't really in the picture, is it? Not with your arranged marriage."

She looked down. "No, it's not. You're right about that," she said quietly. Then she chuckled. "That can't end well, not with Akihiko. But, I don't really have to think about that right now. My father would never agree to anything without consulting me first."

Shinjiro turned to face her. "Of course you have to think about it!" he exclaimed. "You're relationship with Aki will only get more serious, and you know what he'll be expecting. So I'm gonna ask you something, and I need you to answer me honestly."

Mitsuru gulped and reverted her gaze so that she was looking up into his eyes. "If it was for the good of the company," he said slowly. "Would you do it? No matter who it was? Even if it meant forgoing your own happiness?"

She bit her lip, and then slowly nodded. She turned away from him and hid her face in her hands. "I don't know what to do," she said softly.

Shinjiro stood for a moment, emotionless. Then he put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey," he said, turning her around to face him. "Listen, I just want you to make sure you think about this. You're right, you don't have to decide what you're doing this very moment. I just want you to think about what you want, that way when the time comes that you do have to make your decision you can make it immediately. Just think about it, okay? Can you promise me that?"

She wiped her eyes on the heel of her hand and nodded. Shinjiro smiled warmly. "Good." He enveloped her in his arms. "You look like you could use a hug."

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest. It wasn't like the hugs Akihiko gave her; it was more of a friendly or brotherly hug. But it was nice just the same.

They stood for a few minutes, then broke apart. "You good now?" Shinjiro asked. "I'm not used to seeing the tough Mitsuru Kirijo so emotional. I think I may like it though." He smirked. "It shows that you have weaknesses just like the rest of us lowly humans."

"Oh, shut up," she replied. "Don't make me regret giving you that hug."

He laughed. "Anyway, you should get back to lover boy, or he'll go crazy worrying about you."

She chuckled and began to turn to walk away, but something made her turn back around. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Shinjiro softly on the cheek. He blushed. "Thank you, Shinjiro," she said gently. And then she turned away and walked through the door, down the steps and back to her room.


End file.
